tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12084406905483533242024-03-05T09:55:17.352-05:00The Paperback PrincessRyley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-13909099953731819442016-05-04T16:09:00.001-04:002016-05-04T21:58:42.307-04:00waiting on wednesday - harry potter and the cursed child <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi, friends! I'm back with another Waiting on Wednesday, brought to us by the ever-so-lovely Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. My pick this week is totally the least original choice in all the land, but since I wasn't around when it was first announced I am required by law to geek out about it now.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29056083-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Harry Potter and the Cursed Child </a>by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publication date: July 31, 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publisher: Little Brown </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From Goodreads: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">....I mean, do I really need to explain this one? Considering the fact that I have the words "All was well" literally tattooed on my body, I think it's pretty self-explanatory that I NEED THIS. </span></span></div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-44614537570225725352016-05-03T16:09:00.000-04:002016-05-03T16:09:04.549-04:00top ten childhood characters i'd like to visit as adults<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, friends! Today's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>, is all about nostalgia (for me, at least). We're going to be talking about characters I loved when I was younger and really want to know what they're up to now. Not even necessarily books I read when I was a kid; we're gonna go into my teen years, too. Let's get started! </div>
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1. Everyone in the <i>Harry Potter </i>series, duh. Oh hey, Cursed Child! Oh hey, dreams coming true! Didn't see you there! </div>
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2. Suze from <i>The Mediator</i> series. Same deal as above (although I really have no idea why I haven't picked up Remembrance yet). Soon, my minions. </div>
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3. Madison Finn from <i>The Files of Madison Finn</i>. I remember really loving these books when I was a preteen, and I really do credit my love of pugs to them. And my short obsession with acquiring an orange laptop (it never happened). I feel like she'd probably work for Buzzfeed, to be honest. </div>
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4. Halley and Scarlett from <i>Someone Like You. </i>I hope they're still best friends. I hope Scarlett's baby is doing well. I just really loved their friendship dynamic and now I wanna reread it. </div>
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5. Audrey from <i>Audrey, Wait! </i>I see her being part of a "Someone Wrote A Song About Me" support group. Delilah, Roxanne, and Becky will also be there. </div>
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6. The whole gang from the <i>Twilight </i>series. I've been known to talk some smack about the series, I know. But I do think it would be fun to check in on the Cullens and see how their lives are going. That's what Stephenie Meyer should have done instead of the stupid gender reversal. Yes, I'm bitter. No, I'm not sorry. </div>
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7. Eleanor and Park from, well, <i>Eleanor & Park</i>. I did not get any closure from that book. I really need to know how it ends up for those two, okay? Please tell me they live happily ever after. </div>
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8. Jane and Rochester from <i>Jane Eyre</i>. It would be cool to see how their kid turns out, y'know? Also, does Rochester stop being kind of an asshole? And what about Adele?! How's she doing? </div>
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9. Clay from <i>Thirteen Reasons Why. </i>I don't know if I'm the only one who feels this way, but that boy must be all kinds of fucked up after what he went through. I would just love to see how he copes and the effects of this traumatic experience on him. </div>
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10. All the kids from <i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory </i>(except for Charlie). Look, I don't really care what happened to him. What matters to me is the other kids. Does Violet ever turn back to a normal colour, or does she just stay blue? Does Augustus start eating salads? Does Mike grow back to his normal size? Does Veruca learn to stop being such a bitch? Most importantly: Does Willy Wonka get sued? He totally should. </div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-33843793839001243742016-04-26T14:11:00.001-04:002016-04-26T14:11:41.195-04:00in which i crawl out of my blanket cocoon and emerge a beautiful bloggerfly <div style="text-align: center;">
Well, hello again! It has been 226 days since I last blogged. Oops. </div>
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You might be wondering, "Hey Ryley, what have you been doing for the past seven months and thirteen days? What strange and fantastic events have elapsed that have kept you from your beautiful corner of the internet?" </div>
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Well, my friends, let me tell you: <i>Not a lot, really. </i></div>
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Seriously. Besides finishing up my degree and working, I've been living a pretty boring life. I have a newfound obsession with <i>Hamilton</i>, which is actually quite frustrating because there is literally nobody else in my town who feels the same way. Meaning, of course, that my enthusiastic renditions of "My Shot" fall mostly on deaf ears. (If any of you are in the same boat as me, please let me know. I need someone to fangirl with.) </div>
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I'd really love to have a fantastic excuse as to why this blog has been untouched for the better part of a year, but it all comes down to lack of motivation. The final year of my English degree was pretty intense and included a hell of a lot of reading; I honestly just wasn't in the mood for reading when I had free time. Netflix and I became very close friends. </div>
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But, I'm back! I'm officially done my undergraduate degree and have a solid four months until I start my Master's. Hopefully, if I can keep this positive energy up, I'll be back to blogging regularly soon. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we? </div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-65958657586280888252015-09-13T00:29:00.001-04:002015-09-13T00:29:23.840-04:00review: queen of shadows (spoilers ahoy) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18006496-queen-of-shadows" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><i>Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past...</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.</span></i></span><br />
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Question: How is it possible that every book in this series is <b>so much better </b>than the rest?<br />
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Answer: Because Sarah J. Maas is a fucking queen, that's why.<br />
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Just a warning in advance, this whole post is probably going to contain quite a bit of profanity. So if you're not into that, this is your cue to move along. I just finished this beast about two hours ago and am still catching my breath, so you'll have to excuse my overly-excited sailor talk. Okay? Great.<br />
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Queen of Shadows was 100%, absolutely perfect. Honestly, I can't say a bad thing about it.<br />
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I quite honestly don't even know how I'm going to proceed with this review because there's so much to talk about. So, for the sake of this review I'm just going to go through it in a lovely little list.<br />
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<b>1. MANON BEING A BAD BITCH WITH A SECRET HEART OF GOLD </b><br />
This bitch. THIS BITCH. Manon is seriously one of my favourite characters in this series. She's SUCH a complex character, and every single part of her storyline was just fantastic. As the novel progressed, you could honestly feel her turning from the total heartless literal man-eater to the Grinch after he sees all the Whos singing and his heart grows three sizes. GUYS. SHE CARES! Not that we didn't know this, because her relationship with Abraxos is just such a foreshadow to this, but still. A+ for character development. A FUCKING PLUS. We see her being all awesome with Abraxos, and then we see her with Elide, and then ASTERIN. Her story, guys. Literal tears. And HER MESSAGE ABOUT DORIAN AFTER AELIN SAVES HER. And the end when she helps Elide escape and KALTAIN FUCKING BLOWS THE PLACE UP WITH HER SHADOWFIRE LIKE DAMN THESE ARE SOME STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMEN UP IN HERE. DAMN.<br />
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<b>2. DORIAN BREAKING MY HEART FOR 98% OF THE BOOK </b><br />
I'm not even going to lie, and I'm pretty sure a lot of people had this same thought: I was totally certain that Dorian was going to die. Did not have a doubt in my mind. I literally opened the book when I got it, read that first chapter, closed the book, and cried. His chapters were so hard to read, I'm getting teary just thinking about it. POOR BABY. But then he COMES BACK and he's all "fuck you dad" and him and Aelin go all magic teamwork and I DID NOT STOP SMILING. I'm so happy he's back, guys. SO HAPPY. The part where he remembered Celaena's name and his name... BAWLED. But I'm honestly really fucking nervous for the next book because he never got the chance to mourn Sorscha and now that he's king he's going to have to deal with all this grief while still maintaining a position of power during a war and I JUST DON'T WANT HIM TO DIE OR BE SAD HE'S BEEN THROUGH TOO MUCH OKAY? Also: Dorian and Chaol have the cutest friendship in all the land.<br />
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<b>3. DING DONG, THE KINGS ARE DEAD!!!</b><br />
I audibly "WOO"-ed at two points during this book, and both of them were about deaths. I'm not sure what that says about me as a person. But that's not important. What's important is, AROBYNN AND THE KING OF ADARLAN ARE BOTH DEAD!! How did we manage to get rid of both of them in one book?!! The only death that's ever made me happier than Arobynn's is Voldemort. Which is saying a whole damn lot, I tell ya. AND CHAOL DIDN'T DIE, GUYS. At that end confrontation part between Chaol and the king, I was just sitting here with my tea in one hand, book in the other, whispering "no no no no no". It's true. But don't worry, we came out on top because we can't possibly lose with the fire-breathing bitch queen herself on our side.<br />
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<b>4. BADASS LADIES LITERALLY EVERYWHERE</b><br />
Seriously. Aelin, Lysandra, Nesryn, Manon, even fucking ELEVEN YEAR OLD Evangeline. Two words: SQUAD. GOALS. I looooved how Lysandra came into play in this book and actually turned out being one of the most awesome characters. Especially since in The Assassin's Blade, Celaena was all bitchy about her being a courtesan. Like damn bitch don't judge. AND THEN SHE FUCKING SLITS AROBYNN'S THROAT AND LETS HIM CHOKE ON HIS OWN BLOOD. WOAH. I really really really x10000 can't wait for the next books because HOPEFULLY Manon and the Thirteen will team up with Aelin and bring forth all the chaos. Can this happen? Please?<br />
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<b>5. ROWAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</b><br />
See all those exclamation marks? Those are totally unprecedented. Seriously, before I started QoS I was completely on the side of "Aelin doesn't need a man she's a strong independent woman and all she needs is platonic relationships with the men in her life because Sam was her mate and fuck all y'all." But guys. I'm totally a Rowaelin shipper now. I don't think I ever smiled as wide reading this book as I did at the grand Rowan return scene. AND THAT SEXUAL TENSION HOLY SHIT. Needless to say, I am very happy with how this progressed. And Sarah, if you ruin this relationship you owe me $6.99 for the tub of Ben & Jerry's I'll be needing to cope.<br />
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<b>6. AEDION AND AELIN TOGETHER AGAIN AT LAAAAAST </b><br />
I fucking love Aedion's loyalty to Aelin. Seriously. And how worried she was that he was going to hate her for basically being MIA for ten years, but then he's like "NAH GURL BLOOD OATH?" AND THEN GETS ALL PISSY THAT SHE MADE ONE WITH ROWAN. The Rowan/Aedion rivalry cracked me up, if we're being completely honest here. Speaking of Aedion, I NEED something to happen between him and Lysandra. NEED. They can have little shapeshifter Faebies. (Please don't hate my pun) (I also want Rowaelin Faebies) (ok I'm done with this now)<br />
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<b>7. SO MANY TWISTS HOLY SHIT MY HEART </b><br />
I probably spent 90% of my time reading this book holding my breath. It's a fucking beast of a book, but honestly it did not drag ONCE. Constant action. Constant suspense. Constant excitement. SO MANY TWISTS AND TURNS I PROBABLY HAD A MINOR HEART ATTACK AT SOME POINT BUT IT'S SO WORTH IT.<br />
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I'm having trouble thinking about other things but I'm just going to say that I loved this book. It is my favourite book of 2015 so far, and probably will stay that way since I don't see myself reading for fun a lot in the next few months. THIS. BOOK. IS. FLAWLESS. And now I'm sad because it's going to be at least a year until the next book and I'm fully invested now and I don't LIKE WAITING. On to ACOTAR while I wait, I suppose.<br />
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<br />Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-92021072305939936992015-09-02T10:00:00.000-04:002015-09-02T10:00:02.824-04:00waiting on wednesday - just visiting <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, my lovely internet pals! Today is another Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. If you're new, it's a weekly feature that allows crazy book addicts to gush about upcoming releases that will drain their bank accounts even further. What's not to love? </div>
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This week, my can't-wait pick is... </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25223115-just-visiting" target="_blank">Just Visiting </a> by Dahlia Adler </div>
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Publication date: November 17, 2015</div>
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Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary </div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span id="freeText11699378822068993701" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Reagan Forrester wants out—out of her trailer park, out of reach of her freeloading mother, and out of the shadow of the relationship that made her the pariah of Charytan, Kansas.<br />Victoria Reyes wants in—in to a fashion design program, in to the arms of a cute guy who doesn't go to Charytan High, and in to a city where she won't stand out for being Mexican.<br />One thing the polar-opposite best friends do agree on is that wherever they go, they’re staying together. But when they set off on a series of college visits at the start of their senior year, they quickly see that the future doesn’t look quite like they expected. After two years of near-solitude following the betrayal of the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, Reagan falls hard and fast for a <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>-loving, brilliant smile-sporting pre-med prospective... only to learn she's set herself up for heartbreak all over again. Meanwhile, Victoria runs full-speed toward all the things she thinks she wants… only to realize everything she’s looking for might be in the very place they've sworn to leave.<br />As both Reagan and Victoria struggle to learn who they are and what they want in the present, they discover just how much they don't know about each other's pasts. And when each learns what the other’s been hiding, they'll have to decide whether their friendship has a future.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Best friend bonding story? Check. Coming of age? Check. Nerdy love interest? Check. Racially diverse characters? Check! This book is everything I look for in a contemporary. I am SO excited to get my hands on it, and after last week's very serious pick, it's time to lighten things up! I honestly feel like this is just going to make me want to hug my best friends forever. Love it. </span></span></div>
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Let me know what you're looking forward to, and have a splendid day! </div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-60442946118968128822015-08-28T18:19:00.003-04:002015-08-28T18:19:47.879-04:00book cake tag<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's a fun little tag for you, because who doesn't love cake and books? The main idea of this tag is to pick a book that fits each ingredient for delicious, wonderful cake. Like this: </div>
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I don't know who this tag was started by, and I don't have any intention of tagging anyone else, so we're just gonna answer the questions and get back to our merry lives. Sound good?<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">1) Flour - A book that was a little bit slow to start off but that really picked up as it went along.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span></b></div>
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<i>Throne of Glass</i>! For some reason, I could not get into it for the first hundred pages or so. But damn - once I was hooked, there was no looking back. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><b>2) Margarine - A book that had a really rich and great plot. </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">The entire <i>Harry Potter</i> series. Hidden eggs everywhere, just perfect.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><b>3) Eggs - A book that you thought was going to be bad but actually turned out quite enjoyable. </b></span></div>
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I'll probably have to go with <i>Emmy & Oliver</i> by Robin Benway. It's not that I thought it was going to be bad, it's just that I loved <i>Audrey, Wait! </i>so much and didn't really hear a ton about it from other people. So when I picked it up, I was kind of scared that <i>Audrey, Wait!</i> was a fluke and I would be disappointed. </div>
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<b>4) Sugar - A sugary/sweet book. </b></div>
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<i>Bittersweet </i>by Sarah Ockler. Mostly because the title just fits so well, but also because it actually was such a nice, sweet book. (And also because it made me crave cupcakes like nobody's business, but let's not dwell on that.)<br />
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<b>5) Icing - A book that covered every single element that you enjoy about a book (funny moments, action moments, sad moments, etc.). </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The first one that comes to mind is <i>Maus I & II</i> by Art Spiegelman. It was one of my first ventures into the world of graphic novels, and I absolutely adored it. By the way - Tracy, if you're reading this, which I know you are: READ IT NOW! </span></div>
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<b>6) Sprinkles - A book series that you can kind of turn to for a little pick me up when you're feeling down. </b></div>
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Again, <i>Harry Potter. </i>It will forever be my favourite. </div>
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<b>7) The cherry on top - Your favorite book this year so far. </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">It's an extremely close toss-up between </span><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Everything, Everything </i><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">by Nicola Yoon and </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry </i>by Gabrielle Zevin. Both of them were absolute, sheer perfection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Well, I'm hungry now and have a sudden urge to bake until my hands fall off. </span></div>
</span>Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-19143224879330258152015-08-27T15:11:00.000-04:002015-08-27T15:11:02.846-04:00waiting on wednesday (on thursday) - this is where it ends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, hi! I know this is a day late but we're rolling with it. Because we're rebels. And since I'm late for almost everything else in my life, I thought this would be fine. You forgive me, right? </div>
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Can we just talk about my new WoW header for a second? How cute is it? I have another one for Top Ten Tuesday that you'll get to see next week. Spoiler alert: it's also adorable. </div>
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Anyway. I'm doing another Waiting on Wednesday (thanks to <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a> for hosting this every week!). This week's pick is.... </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24529123-this-is-where-it-ends" target="_blank">This Is Where It Ends</a> by Marieke Nijkamp </div>
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Publication date: January 5, 2016 </div>
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Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire</div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span id="freeText2646176263428399862" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">10:00 a.m.<br />The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.<br />10:02 a.m.<br />The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.<br />10:03<br />The auditorium doors won't open.<br />10:05<br />Someone starts shooting.<br />Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">...*shudder*. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Look. This is not going to be a fun book to read. This is not going to be a nice, happy, all's-well-that-ends-well kind of story. I am most likely going to cry and hate the world and say "WHY?" about 500 times. But I think it's necessary, in a strange way. Especially in light of recent events, I think this is an important discussion to have, and an important topic to talk about. I hope, with everything I have, that the author tackles this meaningfully and respectfully. </span></span></div>
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What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? </div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-57854648832648592582015-08-22T14:12:00.003-04:002015-08-22T14:12:34.083-04:00a new look<div style="text-align: center;">
Hi, all! This really has nothing to do with books, but if you happened to see my post yesterday (it was only up for about an hour before I had the issue fixed), I was complaining about how I couldn't reply directly to comments. </div>
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Well, I got a new template/blog theme, and all is well. I'm absolutely obsessed with how it looks right now, and even better - I can reply to comments! I hope you guys like the new layout and colour scheme. It definitely fits my personality better than the pink did! There may be a couple new updates as time goes on, but for now, I'm loving it. </div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-23024833434671563312015-08-20T18:05:00.000-04:002015-08-21T20:19:54.765-04:00what's in a name? (harry potter update #1)<div style="text-align: center;">
Full disclosure here: my Harry Potter re-read isn't going so well. I haven't even finished Philosopher's Stone yet, if we're being completely honest. My excuse is that BookTube-a-Thon took up a week of potential HP reading time, and my newfound obsession with the Throne of Glass series isn't helping much. So I am hereby revoking my promise to have the series done by September. Basically, I'll finish it when I finish it. <strike>Definitely</strike> Hopefully by January, when my Harry Potter class starts. </div>
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One of the things I've noticed so far is that J.K. Rowling is really quite fantastic and placing little hidden eggs throughout the text. It's especially fascinating look at these hints from the perspective of someone who has already read the series, watched the movies, bought the t-shirts, the whole nine yards. </div>
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Today, I'm going to be talking about some of the names I found particularly interesting after doing a little bit of research! A lot of this was inspired by the <a href="http://www.mugglenet.com/2015/07/mugglenet-academia-lesson-32-medieval-motifs-in-harry-potter-is-now-available-for-download/" target="_blank">MuggleNet Academia podcast</a> I talked about a few weeks ago (the one that features my professor). </div>
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<b>Harry Potter - </b>This is actually kind of a funny one. The word "harry" means "to persistently carry out attacks on" and "persistently harass". In the 1700's, "potter" was sometimes used as a term that basically meant "to poke again and again," or "to occupy oneself in a trifling way." If we're looking at this from Voldemort's perspective, Harry's definitely a giant pain in the ass. </div>
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<b>Voldemort - </b>I feel like everyone knows this, but here we go. French translation: "flight of death." Considering the lengths ol' Voldy goes to in order to escape his demise, this is incredibly accurate. </div>
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<b>Hermione Granger - </b>Hermione is a feminine version of Hermes, the messenger god in Greek mythology. He was also known for being the guide to the Underworld (among other things). Hermione's vast knowledge of essentially every subject makes this a pretty fitting name for her. </div>
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<b>Vernon Dursley - </b>The name "Vernon" means "of the alder tree." Traditionally, the alder tree is seen as providing a great amount of protection. However reluctant Uncle Vernon was, he did not fail to protect Harry from danger throughout his years living on Privet Drive. </div>
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<b>Petunia Dursley - </b>The petunia is a flower that is used to represent resentment and anger. Aunt Petunia's name is a perfect mirror image of how she felt about her whole situation. </div>
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<b>Rubeus Hagrid - </b>"Rubeus" is a name that means "powerful son". In Norse mythology, Grid was a giantess known for her bad temper; the word "ha" is Norse for "half." So his last name literally means "half giant." </div>
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<b>Remus Lupin - </b>Possibly the most face-palmy one of them all. In Roman mythology, Remus was one of the brothers who was raised by a she-wolf. "Lupus" is Latin for "wolf." How did we not figure this out right away?! </div>
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<b>Xenophilius Lovegood - </b>My personal favourite! Xenophilia is an affection for the unknown or foreign. Paired with a last name that is just a combination of the words "love" and "good," we have a very positive connotation given to the wacky. </div>
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<b>Argus Filch - </b>Argus is a creature in Greek mythology that was known for its hundred eyes, which allowed it to be very watchful and aware of its surroundings. "Filch" means "to steal" - fitting, if we consider his propensity for taking students' possessions (Marauder's Map, anyone?). </div>
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<b>Quirinus Quirrell - </b>In Roman mythology, Janus Quirinus was a two-faced god who had one face looking forward and one looking backward at all times. "Quirrell" is possibly a reference to squirrels, with their nervous, jumpy personalities. </div>
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If you want to look further into this stuff, MuggleNet has a very good, comprehensive <a href="http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name-origins/" target="_blank">list</a> of all the name origins in the Potterverse. I'd definitely suggest checking it out if you're interested; if not, I'll have another update soon! </div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-31109817651603183552015-08-17T17:05:00.005-04:002015-08-17T17:37:42.781-04:00bout of books 14 tbr! <div style="text-align: center;">
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Hello, all! So I recently (read: fifteen minutes ago) found out about the <a href="http://boutofbooks.blogspot.ca/p/schedule.html" target="_blank">Bout of Books</a> readathon and decided that I'm going to take part in it this year. Luckily for me, it just started today so I'm really not behind at all! Since there are a couple highly anticipated books coming out this fall that happen to be part of series, I thought this week would be a good opportunity to catch up on a couple that I'm most excited about. You're not going to see me reading any standalones during this readathon, that's a promise. </div>
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Here's what I'll be reading this week: </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18243700-the-assassin-s-blade" target="_blank">The Assassin's Blade </a> by Sarah J. Maas </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20613470-heir-of-fire?ac=1" target="_blank">Heir of Fire</a> by Sarah J. Maas </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet?ac=1" target="_blank">Scarlet</a> by Marissa Meyer</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206828-cress?ac=1" target="_blank">Cress</a> by Marissa Meyer</div>
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I won't be doing today's challenge but I'm going to try to do all of them for the rest of the week! Let's hope I have an incredibly productive reading week and can power through all these massive books. Wish me luck! </div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-55006152118586833172015-08-12T14:08:00.001-04:002015-08-12T14:10:57.226-04:00waiting on wednesday - queen of shadows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, lovely people. Today is another Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. If you didn't know, WoW is a weekly feature where we get to talk about our most anticipated upcoming releases. This week, my can't-wait pick is... </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18006496-queen-of-shadows?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Queen of Shadows</a> by Sarah J. Maas </div>
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656 pages </div>
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Publisher: Bloomsbury </div>
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Publication date: September 1, 2015</div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.</span></i></span></div>
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Why I'm Waiting: </div>
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I'm going to be honest here - I'm not fully caught up with the series yet, but I am fully confident in my ability to do so by the beginning of September. I've read the first two books and was absolutely enthralled; the only reason I took a break from the series was because of BookTube-A-Thon. But I'm back, and determined to finish! This is going to be awesome. </div>
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What are you waiting on today? </div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-62589911209943885742015-08-10T14:09:00.002-04:002015-08-10T14:09:47.613-04:00booktube-a-thon 2015 wrap up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have officially reached the end of BookTube-A-Thon (well, as of 11:59 tonight), and I 'm here to share with you how my reading went over the past week. You may have noticed that my posts on this blog have been quite lacking in the past few days, and I'll proudly say that the blame lies with my constant reading. While I didn't complete all of the challenges, I feel like I did pretty well overall, and I'm proud of my progress. </div>
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For this challenge, I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25243735-wytches-vol-1" target="_blank">Wytches, Vol. 1</a>. I was originally going to read Saga, Vol. 1 for this challenge, but ended up switching them around. Still worked out! While I did really enjoy the art and the concept of this book, it didn't really capture my attention and I found myself not really caring about the characters - something I feel is very important in horror (otherwise, who cares if the protagonist dies? Not me). I gave this book 3 stars - I expected a lot more from it. </div>
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Can I get a half point for this one? I'm currently about 100 pages into What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick.<br />
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I decided to finally pick up Red Queen for this challenge, since it's one of my friend Tracy's favourites. I really did end up liking the novel, but only gave it 4 stars because it took a while to really get into it. But once I got hooked, there was no going back.<br />
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The last book I got (before the readathon) was Ready Player One, and I didn't even pick it up this week. But Tracy read it and can't stop raving about it, so I'm sure it'll be one of my next.<br />
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I don't think I could have put Saga, Vol. 1 down if I tried. After reading it, I completely understand why everyone is so obsessed with this series. Easiest 5 stars ever.<br />
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Guys. I finally read Cinder! And I loved it, obviously. This was an easy 4.5 stars for me - half a point taken off because I didn't connect to the characters as much as I would have liked to. That being said, I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of this series.<br />
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Well, nope. Speak was the last book I completed, and I gave it 5 stars as well. I don't know why it's taken me so long to read this - I definitely think it's a book that everyone should read as a teen or young adult. By the end of the book I had mascara running down my face and was completely overcome with emotion. Fabulous. </div>
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Overall, I think I did pretty well this year! I ended up completing 4 challenges and reading 5 and a half books, which I'm happy with, considering I worked every day. All in all, I'd call it a success!</div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-59618123480237231512015-08-04T12:39:00.000-04:002015-08-04T12:39:15.310-04:00ten fairytale retellings on my tbr <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Tuesday, my lovely little unicorn friends! And for my fellow Canadians, I hope you enjoyed your long weekend! I had a little bit of a Disney binge over the weekend - I watched The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Well, it turns out this was very fitting, because this week, Top Ten Tuesday (hosted weekly by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>!) is all about fairytale retellings! Now, I'm going to stretch this a little bit to incorporate some other stories - things like myths, legends, ancient tales, you get the gist. All in all, these are some of the retellings that I'm dying to read!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder" target="_blank">The Lunar Chronicles</a> series by Marissa Meyer</span><br />
Inspired by: Cinderella/Little Red Riding Hood/Rapunzel/Snow White<br />
Exciting news, guys! I finally started reading Cinder! I'm currently about a hundred pages into it and absolutely adoring it so far. Really don't know why I didn't read this sooner!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbxib_hy1XB8Kx-wzcrj7fUj0I6Qpt3mhfEqKi1Yh10gqcJ3JSJgvn2OqZbV724Y6VZTJ9QV3psz6ag9C0syH18j3xAcYJJta4zWfpVokhyphenhyphen0rFX_jaxPIe08-h_GGZIUu1Rh-dNKyB5Y/s1600/21524446-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9oCYBAdd8-a7NtNykD_6dXjuaOUaE7HzRjhJD1EuEV6E_YHY6BQ4Cf5wkZn_bdcjwcSBffi7-QWrw2bJvDg7fZpcj21PbTiBNvLJpPEarFD7qtF9gyzJgXqu9qc9RCUAgl9xz4gpKVM/s1600/16096824-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9oCYBAdd8-a7NtNykD_6dXjuaOUaE7HzRjhJD1EuEV6E_YHY6BQ4Cf5wkZn_bdcjwcSBffi7-QWrw2bJvDg7fZpcj21PbTiBNvLJpPEarFD7qtF9gyzJgXqu9qc9RCUAgl9xz4gpKVM/s200/16096824-2.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16096824-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses?ac=1" target="_blank">A Court of Thorns and Roses</a> by Sarah J. Maas </span><br />
Inspired by: Beauty and the Beast<br />
Ever since I started the Throne of Glass series, I've been hooked on Sarah J. Maas's writing. Not to mention the fact that Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favourite Disney movie (is there any book lover who <i>doesn't</i> want that library?)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21524446-a-thousand-nights?ac=1" target="_blank"> A Thousand Nights </a>by E.K. Johnston </span><br />
Inspired by: A Thousand and One Nights<br />
I met E.K. Johnston when she did a signing/panel at my local Chapters with Kendare Blake and Michelle Krys, and she was awesome. I haven't read her other books yet, but this is very high on the tbr. And just look at that cover.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18798983-the-wrath-and-the-dawn?ac=1" target="_blank">The Wrath and the Dawn </a> by Renee Ahdieh</span><br />
Inspired by: A Thousand and One Nights<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbxib_hy1XB8Kx-wzcrj7fUj0I6Qpt3mhfEqKi1Yh10gqcJ3JSJgvn2OqZbV724Y6VZTJ9QV3psz6ag9C0syH18j3xAcYJJta4zWfpVokhyphenhyphen0rFX_jaxPIe08-h_GGZIUu1Rh-dNKyB5Y/s1600/21524446-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbxib_hy1XB8Kx-wzcrj7fUj0I6Qpt3mhfEqKi1Yh10gqcJ3JSJgvn2OqZbV724Y6VZTJ9QV3psz6ag9C0syH18j3xAcYJJta4zWfpVokhyphenhyphen0rFX_jaxPIe08-h_GGZIUu1Rh-dNKyB5Y/s200/21524446-2.jpg" width="131" /></a>My friend Tracy (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRACY!) recommended this one to me and of course I had to buy it. And judging by the reviews and how hyped up this book has been, I'm sure it'll be worth it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13246736-antigoddess?ac=1" target="_blank">Antigoddess</a> by Kendare Blake </span><br />
Inspired by: Greek mythology<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTpbyurzswMlBi226JMrK3YQqmkTzPSElCzUWNh3kyVy99Jxag-3xeR6GjDNww_WonyI7uiHfz0hyjtZ2mkeFrWgG7MPQdzoI7dNZRdnfAdmYXd_7KYoOd0s9CfRwK9Yqf-NKn7Wcc7A/s1600/18798983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTpbyurzswMlBi226JMrK3YQqmkTzPSElCzUWNh3kyVy99Jxag-3xeR6GjDNww_WonyI7uiHfz0hyjtZ2mkeFrWgG7MPQdzoI7dNZRdnfAdmYXd_7KYoOd0s9CfRwK9Yqf-NKn7Wcc7A/s200/18798983.jpg" width="132" /></a>Again, Kendare Blake was at the signing in Chapters a couple months ago, and she was awesome. I loved Anna Dressed in Blood (it's set in my hometown), so I was immediately a fan of Kendare after reading that! I'm also very interested in Greek and Roman mythology, so this is definitely appealing to me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24517738-never-never" target="_blank">Never Never</a> by Brianna Shrum</span><br />
Inspired by: Peter Pan<br />
I'm going to be honest here: I've never been a huge, die-hard Peter Pan fan. I know a lot of people are, but I never fully connected to it as much as some other stories. Nevertheless, I've always been intrigued by books that tell the villain's side of the story, and that combined with the fact that I kinda think Peter's a bit of a jerk makes me very excited for this!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3JrIeA7h32hoXfxryAqCukKPhV4InB31Qj3TV503c4IzyC-BJNUVwtiUccy2UV5AMy0DDbGcWZ6_f9PFpP_Mb0skSERNLHTQnQi4bj0p8ZTRO0ct4kVvLXcMa3sPFD_dkNI3IG9WXOc/s1600/18336573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3JrIeA7h32hoXfxryAqCukKPhV4InB31Qj3TV503c4IzyC-BJNUVwtiUccy2UV5AMy0DDbGcWZ6_f9PFpP_Mb0skSERNLHTQnQi4bj0p8ZTRO0ct4kVvLXcMa3sPFD_dkNI3IG9WXOc/s200/18336573.jpg" width="137" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9680718-half-blood" target="_blank">The Covenant series</a> by Jennifer L. Armentrout </span><br />
Inspired by: Greek mythology<br />
Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of those authors that I never fully jumped on the bandwagon for. I loved the one book I read by her, but I've never been as addicted as some people seem to be. I really want to get into her books more, and I feel like a mythology-based series is the perfect way to do it!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17185496-the-sacred-lies-of-minnow-bly?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly</a> by Stephanie Oakes</span><br />
Inspired by: The Handless Maiden<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uidw7dnFm8c12wF-rL3jP3_CQxR_8xbR21F0OADFeUS16rHzQHDs-O5dGVpd-wl10ShW5bMhlUkOu87rgcjNIzWhWU7N8l2GZwV-ou_kOeC9vRdsS41DmpgU1yFLA-LBvD72EDfC8nY/s1600/24517738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uidw7dnFm8c12wF-rL3jP3_CQxR_8xbR21F0OADFeUS16rHzQHDs-O5dGVpd-wl10ShW5bMhlUkOu87rgcjNIzWhWU7N8l2GZwV-ou_kOeC9vRdsS41DmpgU1yFLA-LBvD72EDfC8nY/s200/24517738.jpg" width="131" /></a>How deliciously creepy does this sound?! I'm all about the non-watered-down, terrifying original Grimm stories, and this sounds like it's not going to hold back any punches when it comes to sticking to the original. Tracy also read this one and said it was pretty disturbing, so weirdly enough, I can't wait to be scared shitless.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11300302-alice-in-zombieland?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Alice in Zombieland </a> by Gena Showalter</span></div>
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Inspired by: Alice in Wonderland </div>
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I don't even feel like I need to explain this one that much. I mean, Alice and zombies. I've heard kind of mixed reviews about this one to be honest, but I don't even care. I'm giving it a try and that's all there is to it! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">10.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23301545-the-sleeper-and-the-spindle?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">The Sleeper and the Spindle</a> by Neil Gaiman </span></div>
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Inspired by: Sleeping Beauty </div>
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Would you believe me if I said I've never read anything by Neil Gaiman? I think a nice, illustrated retelling of Sleeping Beauty would be a wonderful start to my collection. I've been eyeing up this particular set of his books for a while now, so I think I'm going to read this one and then take the plunge into some of his other books.<br />
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What fairytale retellings are on your must-have list? Let me know in the comments! <br />
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-62768270889565143002015-08-02T09:30:00.000-04:002015-08-02T09:30:00.202-04:00booktube-a-thon 2015 tbr! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year, and we're going to make it count. That's right: BookTube-A-Thon 2015 is upon us! If, for some reason, you haven't heard of BookTube-A-Thon before, here's what we're looking at: a week-long readathon (August 3-9) hosted by a lovely group of BookTubers. Throughout the week, there are seven reading challenges that you can choose to complete, as well as a ton of other fun challenges that will get you PRIZES! Every day, a different BookTuber will host the readathon and upload a video to the BookTube-A-Thon YouTube channel, which you can check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZhmQgR4l0MMisH-OGO729Q" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Today, we're going to be looking at the seven reading challenges for 2015, and I'll tell you how I plan on completing them.<br />
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1. Read a book with blue on the cover. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1?ac=1" target="_blank">Saga, Volume 1</a> by Brian K. Vaughn</div>
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2. Read a book whose author shares the first letter of you last name. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15832932-what-i-thought-was-true?ac=1" target="_blank">What I Thought Was True</a> by Huntley Fitzpatrick </div>
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3. Read someone else's favourite book. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17878931-red-queen?ac=1" target="_blank">Red Queen</a> by Victoria Aveyard </div>
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4. Read the last book you acquired. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOdkKJ_Y-RWBlvRAH2AIQ28G97skPt2VxZ7wTDnkcVXUC9DUJNok9LGKrRHZqapiR7sD8e6jHdYDbMQMynAvtWuVVeZQHXBajJsOf73THzCsePIOWoORkvdNWnVnT2POJe6ierCWrj9c/s1600/12600138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOdkKJ_Y-RWBlvRAH2AIQ28G97skPt2VxZ7wTDnkcVXUC9DUJNok9LGKrRHZqapiR7sD8e6jHdYDbMQMynAvtWuVVeZQHXBajJsOf73THzCsePIOWoORkvdNWnVnT2POJe6ierCWrj9c/s200/12600138.jpg" width="129" /></a><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKtgtnw5x4Eo-2V_JTCzFF-VvdYK2nQJShNimWlOPalRtW3D4uD-mmN-qcIpVY6eITCtEAoB_tXFBXZc8oCUejKebtiEJ_OBmVuq3cPsDaolAVDFQUlnDt1DGiAYwtf1Utw8nTNste4k/s200/15832932.jpg" width="132" /></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one?ac=1" target="_blank">Ready Player One</a> by Ernest Cline</div>
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5. Finish a book without letting go of it. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25243735-wytches-vol-1?ac=1" target="_blank">Wytches</a> by Scott Snyder </div>
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6. Read a book you really want to read.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder?ac=1" target="_blank">Cinder</a> by Marissa Meyer </div>
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7. Read seven books. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9817161-speak" target="_blank">Speak</a> by Laurie Halse Anderson </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3y-7O__KkjI0VrHQrw15PSb4BqSyYFVKDUvfmjwpYudvIZ9yM9sTthJ6QVl6G9QZa3nuG_dkL2PsRkbrx6q3H1V6mMGNAHHq_QWk7Nzvpwt8vfE5TErBHAK1GhQ6ogIX0CQlOOLKYrw/s1600/25243735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3y-7O__KkjI0VrHQrw15PSb4BqSyYFVKDUvfmjwpYudvIZ9yM9sTthJ6QVl6G9QZa3nuG_dkL2PsRkbrx6q3H1V6mMGNAHHq_QWk7Nzvpwt8vfE5TErBHAK1GhQ6ogIX0CQlOOLKYrw/s200/25243735.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHVHbqfSabLsh4YBLbVRhUtl3lzxX_reE-6KIRefcgHOZqL4bJrRz9rCeLcl2IZSoAewV37NBKznknA1ZJNgO4QBC0WEC6qd5TKe-NIkvafF_BKuPd7LL1P079BjYpk7l1paPs4ZDKds/s1600/11235712-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHVHbqfSabLsh4YBLbVRhUtl3lzxX_reE-6KIRefcgHOZqL4bJrRz9rCeLcl2IZSoAewV37NBKznknA1ZJNgO4QBC0WEC6qd5TKe-NIkvafF_BKuPd7LL1P079BjYpk7l1paPs4ZDKds/s200/11235712-1.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajhjP3vnlnjqES5xII4Qa3Vyk_ARHCUk8PEYcEpADPC9dwoYK6gA-l47dNoTMWoUIp00YEq2QRjrcjcSAtZpx72lS8zYcA_G8Y5VaBV10SrpEoypU1N-K5Ef-qKOWVr9Yq6BD81UfSJw/s1600/9817161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajhjP3vnlnjqES5xII4Qa3Vyk_ARHCUk8PEYcEpADPC9dwoYK6gA-l47dNoTMWoUIp00YEq2QRjrcjcSAtZpx72lS8zYcA_G8Y5VaBV10SrpEoypU1N-K5Ef-qKOWVr9Yq6BD81UfSJw/s200/9817161.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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Are you guys taking part in the readathon this week? Let me know what's on your tbr! </div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-55171309478720852082015-07-31T15:46:00.001-04:002015-07-31T15:46:56.114-04:00upcoming august releases<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hello, all! The beginning of August is upon us, so that means it's time for another look at some upcoming releases for this month. Here's what I'm most looking forward to in August. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHY_Imza9Ba32uVR6CCC1p0ODWrlfJdsDAZsCts7nqDhDrwea4XGqKlxLYy6AQ9MRoqq8jt_6GpzIwLIuawfGdv3ECefPlsnYXeF8d2cmbqgifCVcmftKs-YGZq-CCSdU0bXAickqpno/s1600/24338298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHY_Imza9Ba32uVR6CCC1p0ODWrlfJdsDAZsCts7nqDhDrwea4XGqKlxLYy6AQ9MRoqq8jt_6GpzIwLIuawfGdv3ECefPlsnYXeF8d2cmbqgifCVcmftKs-YGZq-CCSdU0bXAickqpno/s320/24338298.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24338298-never-always-sometimes" target="_blank">Never, Always, Sometimes</a> by Adi Alsaid </div>
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August 4, 2015 (Harlequin Teen)</div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Never date your best friend<br />Always be original<br />Sometimes rules are meant to be broken </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they'd never, ever do in high school. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">never die your hair a color of the rainbow</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">, or #7, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">never hook up with a teacher</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">. But Dave has a secret: he's broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It's either that or break rule #10, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">never date your best friend</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they've actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></i></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-vHrthlTa693mxaCKLYyYejh0C5UsR-l96iK4yeOQMKJlR_LcT0H9V4izUoXECAySioxw3EXuzayy78c7c-rRqrGC_6dAFn6itQTrrfGM26XXZPWXF7WbU2rxYXONKdquGXYTYNIzn0/s1600/23354047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-vHrthlTa693mxaCKLYyYejh0C5UsR-l96iK4yeOQMKJlR_LcT0H9V4izUoXECAySioxw3EXuzayy78c7c-rRqrGC_6dAFn6itQTrrfGM26XXZPWXF7WbU2rxYXONKdquGXYTYNIzn0/s320/23354047.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23354047-trouble-is-a-friend-of-mine?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Trouble is a Friend of Mine </a>by Stephanie Tromly </div>
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August 4, 2015 (Kathy Dawson Books)</div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Preparing to survive a typical day of being Digbys friend wasn't that different from preparing to survive the apocalypse.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Her first day not in school (because she cut) in her new hometown that will soon be her old hometown (because she's getting out of Dodge as fast as she can) Zoe meets Digby. Or rather, Digby decides he's going to meet Zoe and get her to help him find missing teenager. Zoe isn't sure how, but Digby—the odd and brilliant and somehow…attractive?—Digby always gets what he wants, including her help on several illegal ventures. Before she knows it, Zoe has vandalized an office complex with fake snow, pretended to buy drugs alongside a handsome football player dressed like the Hulk, had a throw-down with a possible cult, and, oh yeah, saved her new hometown (which might be worth making her permanent hometown after all.)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">A mystery where catching the crook isn't the only hook, a romance where the leading man is decidedly unromantic, a story about friendship where they aren't even sure they like each other—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Trouble is a Friend of Mine</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> is a YA debut you won’t soon forget.</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAV7kQuSzI8a4yB81RZrdPAma2-ttt9ofZuTt4TZA6yZDKWUfI3-IF87WSBNFkyrhtggvYTUsLIuiNBU6JfcmLWHLi7wvohKCpo13duF39-NTGrZ7aANHsb2glCBG73lxXmARnxtUq5g/s1600/20933641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAV7kQuSzI8a4yB81RZrdPAma2-ttt9ofZuTt4TZA6yZDKWUfI3-IF87WSBNFkyrhtggvYTUsLIuiNBU6JfcmLWHLi7wvohKCpo13duF39-NTGrZ7aANHsb2glCBG73lxXmARnxtUq5g/s320/20933641.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20933641-what-you-left-behind?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">What You Left Behind</a> by Jessica Verdi</div>
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August 4, 2015 (Sourcebooks)</div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Zoe3OU8NVjX2PiCGVQAQavJHASsbl476Qv6oqjkVj4pWMqkDJCZRJf3vlmghaaoGHLszvwO1btK-TV1-XZ9FvDCe3JP6p8SLIgPJhyphenhyphenT8Vdl8eobVYUfJahENmXmY8rMHhdjvKgu4J8E/s1600/17331819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Zoe3OU8NVjX2PiCGVQAQavJHASsbl476Qv6oqjkVj4pWMqkDJCZRJf3vlmghaaoGHLszvwO1btK-TV1-XZ9FvDCe3JP6p8SLIgPJhyphenhyphenT8Vdl8eobVYUfJahENmXmY8rMHhdjvKgu4J8E/s320/17331819.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17331819-reawakened?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Reawakened</a> by Colleen Houck</div>
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August 11, 2015 (Delacorte Press) </div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span id="freeText7664127484169773232" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">
When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.</div>
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And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.</div>
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But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span id="freeText7664127484169773232" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span> </span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSonb3fwG6O3yfwy_7-zti-nFxdwDZ0uThKfBfWT0TF2OMYar7SRmzohxoyY1ZIfSTiiyGMPiC7fpOBXseus-kPiMoHBySo7SQRx3H-S2e_oYayRDBmGXb2H658WmEYxbqYkZt6SSByA/s1600/24612533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSonb3fwG6O3yfwy_7-zti-nFxdwDZ0uThKfBfWT0TF2OMYar7SRmzohxoyY1ZIfSTiiyGMPiC7fpOBXseus-kPiMoHBySo7SQRx3H-S2e_oYayRDBmGXb2H658WmEYxbqYkZt6SSByA/s320/24612533.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24612533-the-dead-girls-of-hysteria-hall?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall</a> by Katie Alender </div>
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August 25, 2015 (Point) </div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Asylum meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, in this riveting tale of ghosts, secrets, and family, from master of suspense Katie Alender.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Delia's new house isn't just a house. It used to be an insane asylum, a place to lock up "troubled" young women long ago. And a restless, wicked spirit is still at play--and it doesn't want defiant girls like Delia to go anywhere.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So the house kills her.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Now Delia is a ghost, trapped in her creepy home forever. As she meets the other ghost girls who haunt the narrow hallways, as well as the handsome ghost boy on the grounds, she learns shocking truths about the house's history. Delia also realizes that her alive and grieving sister might be the house's next target. Can Delia unlock the mystery of the old asylum, save her sister, and free herself?</span> </span></i></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23569428-legacy-of-kings?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Legacy of Kings</a> by Eleanor Herman </div>
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August 25, 2015 (Harlequin Teen) </div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.</span></i></span></div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-8587763728027730542015-07-30T20:23:00.001-04:002015-07-30T20:30:53.406-04:00unpopular opinions <div style="text-align: center;">
So I was browsing around the world of BookTube (as one does at 2:56 in the morning) and I came across a wonderful unicorn called the Unpopular Opinions Book Tag. It stuck out to me and I immediately wanted to do my own variation on it! If you'd like to watch the original video, as created by TheBookArcher, you can do so <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYfgq8HgDc0&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. A popular book or series that you didn't like. </span></div>
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For this one, I have to go with To Kill a Mockingbird. And I'd like to clarify - it's not that I particularly didn't like the book, I just didn't feel as deep a connection to it as I know a lot of people did. I am planning to reread it in the future, so maybe that'll change my opinion. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. A popular book or series that everyone seems to hate but you love.</span></div>
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I actually couldn't think of a book that everyone hates that I love, but to me, Audrey, Wait! is severely underrated. Granted, it does have a 3.81 rating on Goodreads, but I gave it a 5 and I feel like it's not as popular as it deserves to be. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you didn't want them to end up with or an OTP you don't like.</span></div>
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Harry and Ginny. I just didn't feel the connection and thought they were better as friends. But I honestly can't think of a substitute, I think I like Harry alone for some reason. I kind of just picture him, Ron, and Hermione all living in a house together and Harry being the cool, single uncle. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. A popular book genre you hardly reach for. </span></div>
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Sci-fi! Especially the alien books like The 5th Wave and the Lux series. I just don't seem to gravitate toward them but I wish I could! I do have a lot of these types of books on my shelf so I'm hopefully going to get to them eventually, and I did really enjoy the first book in the Lux series. It's just not a genre I'm usually drawn to right away.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. A popular or beloved character that you do not like. </span></div>
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Augustus Waters annoyed the shit out of me. Don't get me wrong, I loved TFiOS and I totally get that his personality is integral to the plot, but he's just not the kind of guy I would want to be stuck in a room with. I feel really shitty for saying that, to be honest. Is it bad juju to talk shit about a fictional dead guy? </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6. A popular author that you can't seem to get into. </span></div>
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David Levithan. I've read a couple of his books and did really enjoy them, but he's never been one of those authors that I get excited about. Which is really strange, actually, because I love his writing style and the issues he tackles - something just hasn't clicked between us, I guess.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4F1ikGAUJAjsUikfPh2TLnWprhw9UrwLkzlXC9LUlLS-KIiY63PuVZ509ItGVrIVGq7QfvJnS4Z_saNXCp8PslBj0hHUa-dxvcngMjLEZxdNGQoDaPGauT7fBFM87jMKqW5qxjYPP_A/s1600/6931356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4F1ikGAUJAjsUikfPh2TLnWprhw9UrwLkzlXC9LUlLS-KIiY63PuVZ509ItGVrIVGq7QfvJnS4Z_saNXCp8PslBj0hHUa-dxvcngMjLEZxdNGQoDaPGauT7fBFM87jMKqW5qxjYPP_A/s200/6931356.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">7. A popular book trope that you're tired of seeing. </span></div>
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The whole "I'm a mysterious and angsty bad boy but this ONE SPECIAL GIRL will turn me into a respectable gentleman" <span style="text-align: right;">thing. Like, COME ON. Stop that. What's wrong with nice, normal guys, I ask you? I'm ready for us to all move on from this fad, thanks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">8. A popular series that you have no interest in reading. </span></div>
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Pretty much anything with vampires. My Twilight obsession gave me wayyyyy too much exposure to the whole vampire fad and now I've had enough of it to last me a lifetime. Series like the Vampire Academy just don't appeal to me. Over it. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">9. The saying goes, "The book is always better than the movie," but what movie or TV show adaptation did you like more than the book? </span></div>
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Obviously I can't speak to Part 2 yet, but Mockingjay: Part 1 was fantastic! I don't even know if this counts as an unpopular opinion because it seems like this is pretty widely agreed upon. But still!</div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-57329845684156378522015-07-29T10:00:00.000-04:002015-07-29T10:00:04.780-04:00waiting on wednesday - why not me? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Wednesday, friends! Today is another Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. Today, we're talking about a super exciting NON-FICTION release! What?!?! Ryley's reading non-fiction? Call the cops! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22716447-why-not-me" target="_blank">Why Not Me? </a>by Mindy Kaling </div>
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240 pages </div>
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Publisher: Crown Archetype </div>
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Publication date: September 15, 2015</div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>From the author of the beloved New York Times bestselling book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and the creator and star of The Mindy Project comes a collection of essays that are as hilarious and insightful as they are deeply personal.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.</i></span></div>
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In “How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet’s Confessions,” Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty, (“Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn’t the land of appropriate–this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman’s traditional hair color is honey blonde.”) “Player” tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in L.A. (“I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs.”) In “Unlikely Leading Lady,” she muses on America’s fixation with the weight of actresses, (“Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they’re walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture.”) And in “Soup Snakes,” Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend, B.J. Novak (“I will freely admit: my relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell.”)</div>
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Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.</div>
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Why I'm Waiting: </div>
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You might not know this, but Mindy Kaling is actually a very close, personal friend of mine. She doesn't know it, but it's true. So obviously, I have to support her new book. It's just what friends do, right? Aside from that, Mindy is absolutely hilarious and I can't wait to get another look inside her awesome brain. </div>
</span></span>Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-91321302719007229072015-07-28T10:00:00.000-04:002015-07-28T10:00:01.622-04:00top ten characters who are fellow book nerds <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy almost August! Today, Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, you know the drill) is all about characters who LOVE books. Like us! This one's really exciting for me because literally whenever I find out that a character is a book nerd, I immediately love them. It's just science. Today, we're switching things up a bit: instead of just looking at bookish characters from books, I'm including TV and movies as well. Because why not? <span style="font-size: x-small;">(also because I couldn't think of 10 characters from books but shhh) </span></div>
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<b>1. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) </b></div>
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<b>2. Cather Avery (Fangirl)</b></div>
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<b>3. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)</b></div>
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<b>4. Jane Eyre (...Jane Eyre)</b></div>
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<b>5. Celaena Sardothien (Throne of Glass)</b></div>
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<b>6. Alaska Young (Looking for Alaska)</b></div>
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<b>7. Charlie (Perks of Being a Wallflower) </b></div>
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<b>8. Matilda Wormwood (Matilda)</b></div>
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<b>9. Rupert Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)</b></div>
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<b>10. Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones) </b><br />
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Someone write a fanfic with all of these characters in a book club, okay? </div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-21858244143950365272015-07-26T10:00:00.000-04:002015-07-26T10:00:00.697-04:00book club babble #2: me and earl and the dying girl <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGLKYoSXaNbHHpaULRsRJpMVPrNymqkU8Ki_7SR9yf7P9onkuvuWRinpUMXr2B3Ztv2dPubp2CXi0KGWusb79QM03fwnlQg3zDWnFbwLkrqM5vK1zR7Iu21qx4So4da1N1eMpM_FvLB0/s1600/bcb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGLKYoSXaNbHHpaULRsRJpMVPrNymqkU8Ki_7SR9yf7P9onkuvuWRinpUMXr2B3Ztv2dPubp2CXi0KGWusb79QM03fwnlQg3zDWnFbwLkrqM5vK1zR7Iu21qx4So4da1N1eMpM_FvLB0/s200/bcb.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Isn't my little icon cute? It feels kinda Harry Potter-ish to me. I'm into it. </div>
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Anyway, it's been a while since I posted my first Book Club Babble (it's here, if you want to check it out!) and I figured it was time to do another. Now I have to be honest - since that last update, the book club hasn't been going too strongly. The three of us haven't even met up yet for discussion, if you can believe it. But I'm determined. As long as we're still reading, it counts! Right? </div>
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I told you guys in my last post that our next read would be Yours Truly by Annabel Pitcher. But to be honest, I was kind of meh about that book and wasn't even really inspired to think about it. So, we're moving on to the next one: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12700353-me-and-earl-and-the-dying-girl" target="_blank">Me and Earl and the Dying Girl</a> by Jesse Andrews. </div>
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Here's the synopsis from Goodreads: </div>
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<i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.</span></i></span></div>
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<b>Plot notes: </b>A teenage illness story without being a cliche. At times, hilarious. At other times, heartbreaking. At all times, honest. The plot doesn't seem to be a huge concern, it's more about character development and seeing how a tough situation would play out in a more authentically adolescent environment. </div>
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<b>Character notes: </b>Greg is our protagonist/antihero, aspiring filmmaker and self-deprecating high-schooler. He sometimes does shitty and stupid things because hello, he's a teenager and every teenager is shitty and stupid at some point. Earl is quite possibly the most hilarious character I've ever read, but he's not exactly the stereotypical under-privileged, sassy black dude that you'd expect. He's refreshing and realistic and honestly a really good guy. Rachel lacks personality, to be brutally honest. But she's dying, so I guess she's allowed to be like that. </div>
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<b>Favourite quotes: </b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">“So if this were a normal book about a girl with leukemia, I would probably talk a shitload about all the meaningful things Rachel had to say as she got sicker and sicker, and also probably we would fall in love and have some incredibly fulfilling romantic thing and she would die in my arms. But I don't feel like lying to you. She didn't have meaningful things to say, and we definitely didn't fall in love. She seemed less pissed with me after my stupid outburst, but she basically just went from irritable to quiet.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><b>Other books to read by this author: </b>According to his Goodreads page, Jesse Andrews has another book coming out next spring called The Haters. He doesn't have anything else out as of now, though. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i>My final thoughts: </i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">An incredibly realistic take on the much-overused YA cancer trope. It didn't blow my mind or anything, but I did thoroughly enjoy it. This book is definitely one of the funniest I've ever read - if you're allergic to R-rated humour, though, step away. Greg and Earl have pretty much exactly the sense of humour that you'd expect from two teenage boys. This is not a profound book that will make you think about the meaning of life and want to Be a Better Person. There are a couple touching moments thrown in here and there, but the majority of it is most definitely not in line with your typical cancer story. Overall, I found it refreshing. </span></div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-12372017599319604302015-07-24T12:48:00.000-04:002015-07-24T12:48:03.414-04:00how majoring in english has changed the way i read <div style="text-align: center;">
Every time I mention to someone new that I'm an English major, I get the same reaction. Their faces contort into something like this: </div>
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And then, of course, the dreaded question that literally everyone asks. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>So, are you going to be a teacher? </i></span></div>
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Don't get me wrong. Obviously, there's nothing wrong with being a teacher. I wouldn't know how to read or write without teachers. Without teachers, this whole blog wouldn't exist. I'm just saying, I'm not a teacher-y person. Simple as that. And it's honestly quite comical how people seem to think that the only thing you can do with an English degree is teach English. </div>
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I'm getting away from the point. </div>
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Since I started this wondrous journey of literary endeavours (read: my degree), I've noticed a big change in the way I approach books and react to them. Here are some of the big ones. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I sticky-note everything. </span></div>
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Even books I'm just reading for fun end up with flags and post-its all over them. When I'm feeling really intense, I'll colour-code my notes depending on theme, character, setting, plot...you get the picture. What if I need to remember that tiny detail for my dissertation one day?! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's physically impossible to read without analyzing. </span></div>
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They weren't kidding when they said that Intro to Lit Theory & Criticism would ruin my life. I should have believed them. I can't pick up a book and <i>not </i>notice how it perfectly follows the theory of Panopticism. It just doesn't happen. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have a favourite literary theorist, and I thoroughly enjoy talking about his theories. </span></div>
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For reference, it's Michel Foucault.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have editor brain. </span><br />
If I'm reading a book and I see a typo or some incorrect use of grammar, I get cringe-y. Sometimes it's enough to make me put down the book, or even worse, email the publisher. Even random little things like food labels and visitor guides are subject to my relentless proofreading.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love picking out references and allusions and researching them. </span><br />
We're not just talking the obviously marketed retellings here. There's basically no such thing as a fully original work at this point, so I'm a huge fan of trying to pick out references to old stories and myths, and seeing how far the author takes them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If possible, I love books even more now. </span><br />
Overall, my appreciation for the written word has increased substantially throughout my three years of studying English. Even the simplest stories have so much work put into them. Just think: when you go into a bookstore, you're immediately surrounded by thousands of people's life work; the products of their blood, sweat, and tears.<br />
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Majoring in English has made me a better reader in every possible way. I'm more active in my reading style, more attentive, and more willing to put the work in to figuring out exactly what a writer is trying to tell me. Maybe it's not the most practical of majors, but I don't regret a thing. </div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-64773373887721500342015-07-23T10:47:00.000-04:002015-07-23T10:47:06.379-04:00review: everything, everything <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Release date: September 1, 2015 (Delacorte)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> From <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18692431-everything-everything" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a blac</i><i>k knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.</i></span></span></div>
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<i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.</span></i></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="text-align: left;">This was easily one of my most anticipated books for this year, and when I got approved for an eARC from Netgalley, I was absolutely ecstatic. And then slightly nervous. And then terrified. Because what if it didn't live up to my expectations? What if it turned out to just be another cheesy teen romance with a sick girl and a sad boy? What if, God forbid, it sucked? </span><br />
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Spoiler alert: It didn't. </div>
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Simply put, <i>Everything, Everything</i> was breathtaking. Every single detail was exactly what I hoped it would be. This was a book that I <i>felt </i>- all of Madeline's emotions got magically transferred over to me, and even though I have no idea what it's like to live with SCID, I could certainly sympathize.<br />
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It's very clear that Nicola has a knack for character writing. Seriously, I was absolutely engrossed with each and every character in this book, and I'm pretty sure Madeline is officially one of my favourite YA protagonists <b>ever</b>. Her attitude was so inspiring, and I was honestly in awe of her development. She begins as a very scared, very cautious girl (for good reason - even stepping outside for one second could kill her), but her relationship with Olly forces her to want, and strive for, more. I loved how brave she became throughout the novel, and how she pretty much just told her anxieties to shut up and back off.<br />
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As for Olly, I simply loved him. To me, he just felt incredibly authentic and real - especially through the IMs we see between him and Maddy. His character read as a very true and believable teenage boy. He's not one of those perfect, always optimistic and dreamy love interests. He's a teenager who's dealing with some shit.<br />
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Some of my favourite parts to read were the interactions between Maddy and her mother, and Maddy and Carla. It was really adorable how much trust and love she put into these people, and how she felt like they were integral to her survival. If I ever get sick and am bedridden for the rest of my life, I want Carla to be my nurse.<br />
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So, if you've read the book - you know that thing that happens? The thing near the end? Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting it. And at first I was a little bit taken aback, but after mulling it over for like 5 seconds, I realized it was perfect. It was honestly so in line with the whole theme of the novel. I loved how it all ended.<br />
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One last thing that I absolutely adored was Maddy's little notes and dictionary entries and all the other little goodies sprinkled throughout the book. I felt that they added a lot to the story and really gave an extra intimate look into her mind. Overall, Maddy was a character I felt very close to and completely understood, which is really all I ask for in a protagonist.<br />
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Final thoughts: It's so rare that a book I look forward to so much actually turns out to be what I hoped it would be, but Nicola Yoon hit the nail on the head. Especially considering the fact that this is her first novel, I absolutely cannot wait to see what she has in store next. </div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-85821525247934102862015-07-22T10:00:00.004-04:002015-07-22T10:00:42.767-04:00waiting on wednesday - the boy most likely to <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back to another Waiting on Wednesday! As we all know by now, this is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>, where we all get to gush about upcoming releases. What's not to love? This week, my pick is.... </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611582-the-boy-most-likely-to" target="_blank">The Boy Most Likely To </a> by Huntley Fitzpatrick </div>
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432 pages </div>
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Publisher: Dial Books </div>
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Publication date: August 18, 2015</div>
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From Goodreads: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">A surprising, utterly romantic companion to My Life Next Door—great for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To find the liquor cabinet blindfolded, need a liver transplant, and drive his car into a house.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To . . . well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">And Alice is caught in the middle.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this novel is for readers of</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> The Spectacular Now</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">, and Paper Towns.</span></i></span></div>
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Why I'm Waiting: </div>
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Um, a sequel to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12294652-my-life-next-door" target="_blank">My Life Next Door</a>? Hello, yes please, I'll take five of those. Huntley Fitzpatrick is just one of those writers where every word is like a warm hug. It's just nice to read from her. I can't wait to pick up this book, head to the beach, and read it with a nice, cold glass of iced tea. Perfection. </div>
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What books should I be looking out for? Let me know!V </div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-71579357659753699572015-07-21T23:15:00.001-04:002015-07-21T23:15:50.939-04:00top ten books that celebrate diversity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, all! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted every week by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>, and this week, we're talking diversity. It's no secret that this particular topic has been huge in the bookish community recently, and for good reason. The <a href="http://weneeddiversebooks.org/" target="_blank">#WeNeedDiverseBooks</a> campaign has been making waves lately, and it's great so see how many authors and publishers are embracing differences in colour, ability, religion, race, sexuality... The list goes on. Here are the ten books I picked that celebrate diversity in all forms. </div>
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1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling </div>
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I feel like this series, especially for children who are reading it the first time, doesn't come across as particularly diverse right away. But it's not hard to see the commentary regarding race relations and cultural genocide in the issues between pure bloods, Muggle-borns, and Muggles. </div>
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2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12000020-aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe" target="_blank">Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</a> by Benjamin Alire Saenz </div>
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Here, we've got two separate strands of diversity - the two boys are Mexican American, making them racially diverse, as well as part of the gay community. What more could you ask for? </div>
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3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/829503.April_Raintree?ac=1" target="_blank">April Raintree</a> by Beatrice Culleton </div>
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This is a book that I read for my YA Lit class last year (it's actually a revised edition of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/800780.In_Search_of_April_Raintree" target="_blank">In Search of April Raintree</a>). I think it's particularly important for Canadians, or anyone living in an area with a large Aboriginal population. It really captures the struggle of being othered in your own land in a beautiful and heartbreaking way. </div>
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4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park?ac=1" target="_blank">Eleanor & Park </a> by Rainbow Rowell</div>
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Both of the protagonists in this book are different in their own ways. Park comes from a Korean family and fills the role of a racially diverse character, while Eleanor reads as diverse to me because she's simply not the typical love interest in a YA novel. She's overweight and plain and doesn't really fit the teen girl stereotype, but we still see her as beautiful through Park's eyes, which is so important. </div>
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5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/574267.What_Night_Brings" target="_blank">What Night Brings</a> by Carla Trujillo </div>
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This book broke me, plain and simple. I read it for my Latina/o Lit class and I don't think any of the books I've read for school have ever hit me as hard as this one did. Marci is an eleven-year-old Latin American girl who wants God to turn her into a boy. Pretty much, we have a trifecta of diversity in here with the racial, religious, and gender-related contexts in this book. </div>
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6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6567017-will-grayson-will-grayson" target="_blank">Will Grayson, Will Grayson</a> by John Green and David Levithan </div>
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Tiny Cooper. End of story. </div>
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7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a> series by Suzanne Collins</div>
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I mean, just think about all the diversity between districts! We've got race, class... Even Katniss and Peeta become physically disabled by the end of the series. </div>
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8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820994-i-ll-give-you-the-sun" target="_blank">I'll Give You the Sun</a> by Jandy Nelson</div>
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This is just a beautiful example of what it means to love someone who is othered. The dual perspective really works to give us a look at both sides, so we're not just learning what it's like for Noah (a gay character), we also see how it affects his twin, Jude, and how she deals. </div>
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9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22840182-the-summer-of-chasing-mermaids" target="_blank">The Summer of Chasing Mermaids</a> by Sarah Ockler</div>
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I'll admit right now - I'm not done this book yet, but already I'm loving it! The narrator is Elyse, a girl from Trinidad and Tobago, who lost her voice in a boating accident. She's one of the only POC's in the small town where the story takes place, and with her disability on top of that, she's definitely very different from those around her. </div>
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10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18692431-everything-everything?ac=1" target="_blank"> Everything, Everything </a> by Nicola Yoon</div>
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I don't want to give too much away because this book isn't out yet (thanks, Netgalley!) but I will tell you what you can find out from the synopsis: the narrator is an Afro-Asian teenager living with SCID, a disease that pretty much means she's allergic to the entire world. </div>
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What diverse books are you loving?</div>
Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-62314064055953354782015-07-19T11:54:00.000-04:002015-07-19T11:54:00.742-04:00the book fangirling blog award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello, all! I recently (like, a couple days ago) learned that the lovely Fiona from <a href="http://agirlbetweenthepages.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">A Girl Between the Pages</a> had nominated me for the BookFangirling Blog Award! Big hugs going her way for this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, if you haven't heard of this particular award, here's a summary: It was created by Hannah over at <a href="http://bookfangirling.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">BookFangirling</a> (who is absolutely wonderful, I might add). To complete this tag, I have to answer the questions below, then tag 5-10 other bloggers who deserve the award and come up with my own questions for them! All of that information will be below, but first, here are my answers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. What is your favorite thing about blogging?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My absolute favourite thing about it is the sense of community and support that I get from everyone. I'm by no means a popular blogger or anything like that, but people are still so nice to me! I love that this is a place where everyone has similar interests and we're all just happy to talk about books for hours on end. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Which books or series your book boyfriend/s came from?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19px;">Promise you won't judge me? Pinky swear? Because this is an embarrassing one. Did you promise? Okay, here we go. My most significant book boyfriend has to be Edward Cullen from the ever-so-famous Twilight series. We've been broken up for a good few years now, but back in '09 I was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">absolutely OBSESSED. We're just gonna let that stay in the past, though. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. What was the craziest thing you ever did because of fangirling?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">See, this is going back to the whole Twilight thing. It's possible that my friend and I, when we were around 12 or 13, madetwilightthemedpuppetsofabunchofthecharacters. Again, in the past. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. If you were to choose one book or one series to read for the rest of your life, what would it be?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Harry Potter, duh. Speaking of which, if you missed <a href="http://the-paperbackprincess.blogspot.ca/2015/07/the-great-harry-potter-re-read-2015.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, I'm going to be doing a re-read of the whole series through August and into September! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. When was the last time you had a major book hangover, and what was that book/series?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ou, this is a tough one. My last book hangover was probably last summer after I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16143347-we-were-liars" target="_blank">We Were Liars</a> by E. Lockhart. As I'm sure you know, that book is a complete mindfuck and I pretty much just had to hide under a blanket to recover from it. But other than that, I think my last real book hangover was after (you guessed it) Breaking Dawn was released. Promise you still love me? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, it's time for me to nominate bloggers and post my own questions! If you decide to post this for yourself, please leave me a link in the comments so I can read your answers! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Georgina @ <a href="http://reads-and-rambles.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Reads and Rambles</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Amanda @ <a href="http://lovesbooksreview.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Stuck in YA Books</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Erin @ <a href="http://thehardcoverlover.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">The Hardcover Lover</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sandra @ <a href="http://sandrathebookworm.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Sandra the Bookworm </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jody @ <a href="http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">A Spoonful of Happy Endings</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kay @ <a href="http://itisabooklife.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">It's a Book Life</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lea @ <a href="http://yabookqueen.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">YA Book Queen</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lisa @ <a href="http://illtumbleforya.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">I'll Tumble for YA</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are your questions, ladies!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. What is your number one, ride-or-die book/series to fangirl over? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. If you could pluck any character out of any book and have him or her in your life, who would it be? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. What book/series is a guilty pleasure that you secretly love? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Do you listen to music while reading or prefer silence?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. What was your gateway book into full-on addiction?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now that you're nominated, here's what you do:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Create a post to accept your award </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Add the blog award button to your blog as a widget </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Answer the above questions</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Nominate 5-10 bloggers you feel are deserving of this award </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Come up with 5 questions to ask your nominees (or steal them from someone else, who cares?) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Comment on this post with a link to yours so I can see your answers! </span></div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208440690548353324.post-90411173542618848592015-07-18T18:51:00.001-04:002015-07-18T18:51:09.020-04:00the great harry potter re-read 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's a little tidbit you probably already knew about me: I love Harry Potter. The series quite literally shaped my entire life from the moment I picked up the first book, and I owe my love of reading entirely to J.K. Rowling. </div>
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With that in mind, I've been doing a lot of thinking about Harry Potter lately. This upcoming winter, I will be taking a class at my school entitled Medieval Motifs in Harry Potter, which I'm obviously looking forward to. As it turns out, the professor who will be teaching that course recently did a podcast with MuggleNet Academia which seems to be basically an overview of what she'll be teaching in the class. I just finished listening to the podcast (it's super interesting if you're into Harry Potter, <a href="http://www.mugglenet.com/2015/07/mugglenet-academia-lesson-32-medieval-motifs-in-harry-potter-is-now-available-for-download/" target="_blank">here's a link to it</a>) and decided that I want to embark upon an epic journey. </div>
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So this summer, I'm going to be tackling the series once more, this time focusing on the inner workings of the plot (pretty much to give myself a head start in the class). I'm hoping to get through the series by the time school starts on September 14, and I'm planning to post updates throughout my reading that will talk about some of the cool things I notice along the way. I'm hoping that it'll be a little bit more academic and analytical in nature, so if you're interested in following along or even joining me, I'd love to have you! </div>
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I'm going to start this upcoming Monday (July 20), so that gives me 8 weeks until school starts to finish the series. I'm hoping to post weekly updates but can't promise anything, so we'll see where it goes. </div>
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Ryley Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15529043692415576491noreply@blogger.com1